THE LAST GO-ROUND — Poteau senior golfer Addie Guthrie will play her final high school athletic event today and Thursday as she will be in the Class 4A State Golf Tournament at Oklahoma City's Lake Hefner South Golf Course.
PDN Staff Photo by David Seeley

Eventually, chapters in one's life will end. Poteau Lady Pirate senior golfer Addie Guthrie is in her final pages of such a chapter.
Guthrie will conclude her Poteau High School athletic career today and Thursday at the Class 4A State Tournament.
“It's sad,” Guthrie said Tuesday morning before the Lady Pirates left to play a practice round that afternoon to get ready for the 36-hole, two-day state tournament. “When it's over, it's going to be over. I'm looking forward to it. I'm ready, but I'm also sad. It's going to be bittersweet. Hopefully, we can go out with a bang — and get a ring.”
Two things are making Guthrie believe good things are in store for the Lady Pirates.
“We're better than we were a year ago,” she said. “First of all, we have (sophomore) Hannah (Ward), who always shoots just awesome. She's a big help for us. last year, we were having to count (individual) scores which were in the high 90s or low 100s. This year, we're having scores in the high 80s or low 90s. We've shaved off about 10 strokes off last year from where we were.”
Secondly, a few weeks ago, the Lady Pirates went to the Class 4A State Preview on this same course, Oklahoma City's Lake Hefner South Golf Course, and won the event.
“When we went to the Class 4A Preview, we won it,” Guthrie said. “Hopefully, we can win there again.”'
Playing at the course will give the Lady Pirates a little advantage over golfers who did not.
“It's really windy,” Guthrie said. “You have to keep the ball low — don't get it up into the wind. If you just hit the ball straight, you're going to be fine.”
While high school golf will end by Thursday afternoon, there's still more golf in the Poteau senior's future.
“I'm going to go to Rogers State (in Claremore) for golf,” Guthrie said. “As of right now, I'm going to walk on.”
Guthrie is hoping that a strong performance in the state tournament will help springboard her into her soon-to-be college career.
“A good showing at state will look good on my resume,” she said. “If I shoot well enough at state, it will show that I can shoot well enough in college.”
Needless to say, Guthrie has a strong conviction that a state championship will come home Thursday night.
“I'm excited,” she said. “I think we're going to do good — and I think we'll end up on top. I really believe that.”
If that dream becomes reality Thursday afternoon, Guthrie could not think of any better way to end her Poteau High School athletic career.
“That would be awesome,” the Lady Pirate senior said. “Poteau doesn't have any state championships in golf. We don't have any (golf) trophies in the case. If we would finish first, I think it would be awesome.”'